Will post-omicron mean down time or prep time for hospitals?

New omicron cases are declining nationwide, with most states predicted to see this surge peak by mid-February. If the omicron surge ends as quickly as it started — as it has in South Africa and the U.K. — some health experts predict the U.S. will experience a “quiet period” where infection levels will remain low due to high levels of population immunity. This period will give hospitals time to recuperate from a COVID-19 wave filled with record hospitalization levels, extreme staffing shortages and a scant supply of available tests and treatments.